The mercury has hit 47.4 degrees Celsius in Portugal, shattering the national record and sending a stark warning to British holidaymakers heading for the Algarve. The blistering temperature was recorded in the Algarve town of Faro on Wednesday, according to Portugal's meteorological office.
The previous record of 47.3 degrees was set in 2018, and this latest reading signals a dangerous escalation in the region's heatwave. Sources close to the Portuguese health authority confirm that hospitals are bracing for a surge in heat-related admissions.
The British Foreign Office has updated its travel advice, urging tourists to avoid the sun between 11am and 4pm and to stay hydrated. But this is more than a travel warning. Uncovered documents from the European Environment Agency reveal that southern Europe is warming at twice the global average.
The agency's latest climate risk assessment, seen by this reporter, shows that Portugal's heatwave intensity has increased by 40 per cent since the 1980s. The pattern is clear. This is not a freak event.
It is a product of decades of inaction by governments that have put economic growth ahead of climate resilience. The Portuguese government has activated its emergency response plan, opening cooling centres and distributing water to the homeless. But for the thousands of British tourists who have booked holidays in the coming weeks, the question remains: what are they being told?
Travel operators have a duty of care, yet a review of their websites shows that most are still advertising 'sunny breaks' without mentioning the deadly heat. This is a scandal waiting to happen. The last time temperatures hit 47 degrees in Europe, more than 1,500 people died in Portugal alone.
The current heatwave is forecast to last until at least Saturday, and the health ministry has already reported a 30 per cent spike in emergency calls. The British government should issue a formal warning. But instead, they have left it to the travel companies to self-regulate.
And we all know how that ends. The money trail here leads directly to the tourism sector, which contributed £15 billion to the Portuguese economy last year. There is a conflict of interest when the same industry that profits from the weather fails to warn its customers of the risks.
This is a developing story. More documents are expected to emerge from the Portuguese climate ministry, and sources hint that internal emails show officials were aware of the risks weeks ago. But they chose to stay silent.
For now, the record stands. But the real cost will be counted in lives disrupted and lives lost. British holidaymakers, check the temperature before you board.
And if you are already there, stay out of the sun. This heatwave is not a holiday. It is a warning.
